1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, a recording method, a recording program, and a recording medium having the recording program recorded therein. The present invention is applicable to a DVD (digital versatile disk), for example. According to the present invention, a file of still pictures other than moving pictures can also be recorded by selecting a format for the management information to be recorded in combination with the file on the basis of the attribute of the file. Also, according to the present invention, a standard optical disk drive is allowed to check the content of a file of still pictures other than moving pictures recorded in an optical disk for example by recording a file recorded in the optical disk in a format selected for the file.
This application claims the priority of the Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-124604 filed on Apr. 25, 2002, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there are available DVDs as large-capacity optical disks including writable DVDs (digital versatile disk) such as a DVD-R (DVD-recordable), DVD-RW (DVD-rewritable) and DVD-RAM (DVD-random access memory). Of these DVDs, DVD-R and DVD-RW having video data recorded therein in a format complying with the DVD video format can be played by a reproduce-only optical disk drive or a computer to reproduce the video data.
FIG. 1 shows a chart explaining the DVD video format-based logical format of an optical disk. As shown in FIG. 1(A), the optical disk logically formatted according to the DVD video format has an information recording area thereof divided into a zone called “lead-in” at the innermost circumference thereof, a data zone and a zone called “lead-out” at the outermost circumference. The optical disk will have desired video data or the like recorded to the data zone thereof.
As shown, the data zone consists of a UDF (universal disk format) area (file system area) A1, VMG (video manager) area (DVD management information area) A2 and a real-time data recording area A3 in this order from the lead-in zone. The UDF and VMG areas are provided to record management information used to manage files of video data recorded in this optical disk. Of these UDF and VMG areas, the VMG area A2 which is a second management information recording area is directed to a video file management system unique to the DVD video format and will have recorded thereto TOC information (table of contents) used for management of all video data recorded in the real-time data recording area A3. On the other hand, the UDF area A1 which is a first management information recording area is directed to a file management by a computer, and will have recorded thereto management information used for management of all the video data recorded in the real-time data recording area A3 in a format compatible with the file management system of the computer.
As shown in FIG. 1(B), the real-time data recording area A3 is a program area where real data are to be recorded, and will have video data recorded therein in units of VTS (video title set; will be referred to simply as “title” wherever appropriate hereunder). It should be noted that a maximum of 99 VTSs can be provided. It is also important to note that as shown in FIG. 1(C), the “VTS” is composed of VTSI (video title set information), VTSM VOBS (video object set for the VTSM), VTSTT VOBS (video object set for titles in a VTS), and VTSI BUP (backup of VTSI) in this order. VTSTT VOBS will have recorded thereto MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group)-2-formatted video data as real video data, VTSI will have recorded thereto the address information etc. for management of the video data composed of real data, and VTSM VOBS will have a title menu of the video data recorded thereto. It should be noted that VTSM VOBS is an option and VTSI BUP is a backup of VTSI.
When the above optical disk is accessed by a computer, a desired file can be searched based on UDF for reproduction. When the optical disk is reproduced by a DVD player, a desired file can be searched based on VMG for reproduction.
Video data is written to such an optical disk by either an incremental recording method (will be referred to as “INC method” hereunder) or restricted overwrite method (will be referred to as “ROW method” hereunder). The INC method is intended for sequential recording of video data, while the ROW method is applied to an overwritable optical disk. In the ROW method as well, however, video data which are to be recorded to a fresh (unrecorded) area will sequentially be recorded. In these INC and ROW methods, an RMA (recording management area) defined along the inner circumference of the lead-in zone provides an area management of an operation, such as reservation, to the optical disk.
FIG. 2 is a chart for explaining the INC-based recording procedure. For the INC-based recording, it is defined that data should be recorded to up to three areas each called “Rzone”. Each Rzone is managed under the RAM standard.
More specifically, in the INC-based recording of moving pictures, Rzones are first reserved as shown in FIG. 2(A). For this reservation of Rzones, a Rzone 1 for UDF and VMG areas in which management information is to be recorded is defined, a next Rzone 2 for VTSI and VTSM VOBS of a top VTS is defined in an unrecorded area forming a real-time data recording area, and a remaining unrecorded area is defined as “invisible Rzone”. In the INC method, the management information recording area and also the areas fin which VTSI and VTSM VOBS of the top VTS are to be formed are reserved by reserving the Rzone1 and Rzone2.
In the INC method, VTSTT VOBS of real data is defined by recording video data sequentially starting at the beginning of “Invisible Rzone”. Further, upon completion of recording of the real data under one title with a user's instruction, VTSI BUP is recorded next to the recording of the real data as shown in FIG. 2(B) and VTSI and VTSM VOBS are defied in the Rzone 2 again at the beginning and the Rzone 2 is closed as shown in FIG. 2(C). Thus, one VTS is recorded to the optical disk by the INC method.
In the INC method, for continuously recording a next title, Rzone 3 is reserved in a remaining unrecorded area and areas are reserved for VTSI and VTSM VOBS to define the “Invisible Rzone” as shown in FIG. 2(D). Further, after defining VTSTT VOBS by recording real data, VTSI BUP is defined as shown in FIG. 2(E), and VTSI and VTSM VOBS are reserved in the previously reserved areas as shown in FIG. 2(F). Thus, a next VTS is recorded as shown in FIG. 12(G). In the INC method, when a title is recorded next, unrecorded areas are defined similarly to sequentially record VTSs.
On the other hand, in an optical disk having VTSs sequentially recorded therein to define a real-time data recording area, there are defined areas for UDF and VMG by finalization by the INC method to define lead-in and lead-out zones as shown in FIG. 2(H). Thus, the optical disk is interchangeable with a read-only optical disk. It should be noted that in defining the UDF and VMG areas, UDF and VMG data are generated based on the data in the areas for the tiles VTSI and VTSM VOBS, and the data are recorded to the Rzone 1 which will thus be closed.
FIG. 3 shows a chart for explaining the ROW-based recording procedure. In the ROW method, a lead-in, UDF and VMG areas, and areas for recording the leading titles VTSI and VTSM VOBS are pre-reserved by padding as shown in FIG. 3(A). It should be noted that the “padding” refers to a process for reserving an area by recording there dummy data such as null (zero) or the like.
In the ROW method, when these areas are reserved, video data are sequentially recorded to define a VTSTT VOBS composed of real data as shown in FIG. 3(B). Upon completion of recording the real data under one title, a VTSI BUP area is defined, and padding is done for reserving recording areas for subsequent titles VTSI and VTSM VOBS, as shown in FIG. 3(B). Then, reservation of VTSI and VTSM VOBS areas for recording the real data will be repeated again from the beginning as shown in FIG. 3(C). Thus, one VTS is recorded in the optical disk by the ROW method.
In the ROW method, for continuously recording a next title, real data are recorded following a padded area composed of a preceding VTS to define VTSTT VOBS and VTSI BUP areas, and then padding is done for reserving subsequent titles VTSI and VTSM VOBS, as will be known from FIG. 3(D). Subsequently, areas are defined for titles VTSI and VTSM VOBS as shown in FIG. 3(E) to thereby record successive VTSs to the optical disk as shown in FIG. 3(F). In the ROW method, for successively recording titles, similar padding is done to record VTSs sequentially.
On the other hand, in an optical disk having such VTSs sequentially recorded therein to define a real-time data recording area, the ROW method defines UDF and VMG areas by finalization, and then lead-in and lead-out as shown in FIG. 3(G) to thereby establish interchangeability with a read-only optical disk.
Note that it is conceivable that such an optical disk is played in place of the magnetic tape in a portable video camcorder. In this case, since some conventional video camcorders can record moving pictures as well as still pictures, such an optical disk for use with the portable video camcorder should also desirably be capable of recording still pictures other than moving pictures.
Note that in the aforementioned format, no consideration is given to such a file recording and hence it will be necessary to hold still pictures or the like in a memory and record them to another recording medium.
Also note that it is desired that the content of a still picture file, among a variety of files thus recorded, by a standard DVD player which supports only the DVD video format.